Priority Area: Chronic Disease

The Burden of Chronic Disease

Chronic diseases such as asthma,
cancer,
diabetes,
heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of disability and death in the United States. These diseases account for seven of every ten deaths and affect the quality of life of 90 million Americans. In 2001, over 70% of all deaths that occurred in New York State were due to chronic diseases. In addition to causing major limitations in daily living and leading to high costs of health care, chronic diseases are also among the most preventable. Factors such as reducing or preventing
tobacco use, poor diet, and physical inactivity, are known to protect and reduce the incidence of chronic disease.

Chronic disease prevention is rooted in the modification of risk factors (primary prevention), the detection of chronic diseases in their earliest stages (secondary prevention) and the treatment of chronic disease and attention to disease management and self-management by diagnosed individuals in order to prevent debilitating and costly complications (tertiary prevention). This priority area section includes information about the major chronic diseases and conditions (heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes) affecting New Yorkers, as well as the associated risk factors. Asthma is also recognized as a chronic disease, and is addressed here and in the sections entitled, Healthy Environment, Access to Quality Health Care, and Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies, Healthy Children.

Objectives

By the year 2013, reduce the prevalence of adult diabetes and hospital complications of diabetes in New York so that:

The percent of adults with diabetes is no more than 5.7%. (Baseline 8.2%, BRFSS, 2007)

The rate of hospitalizations for short-term complications of diabetes are no more than:

By the year 2013, reduce the age-adjusted coronary heart disease hospitalization rate in New Yorkers to no more than 48 per 10,000. (Baseline: 63.7 per 10,000, SPARCS, 2003-2005)

By the year 2013, reduce the congestive heart failure hospitalization rate among New York adults (ages 18+) to no more than 33 per 10,000 (ages 18+). (Baseline: 44.3 per 10,000 adults, SPARCS, 2005-2006)

By the year 2013, reduce New York's age-adjusted cerebrovascular disease (stroke) mortality rate to no more than 24 per 100,000. (Baseline: 32.6 per 100,000, Vital Statistics, 2003-2005)

By the year 2013, reduce the age-adjusted cancer mortality rate to no more than:

County Strategies and Partners Matrix

The County Strategies and Partners Matrix for Chronic Disease was compiled from the 2010-2013 community health assessments submitted in 2009 by 38 local health departments. It describes how local health departments collaborate with hospitals and community organizations to plan and address this priority to improve population health outcomes.

Indicators for Tracking Public Health Priority Areas

Each community's progress towards reaching these Prevention Agenda Objectives will be tracked so members can see how close each community is to meeting the objectives.